04/13/00 1:22 PM Last Revision 03/27/00

CHECKLIST FOR CLOSING A HOUSE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD

 A. Administrative Items

     1. Pest Control
        a. Leave key with a bonded company or
        b. Create a dedicated alarm code with Guardian for exterminator or
        c. Leave key and code with a neighbor.
        d. Should you wish to do some of the pest control yourself and/or in conjuntion with the hired exterminator, see Item H below.

     2. Newspapers and Mail
        a. Cancel newspaper delivery a day or so before you leave to be sure  instructions are carried out.
        b. Arrange with Post Office for forwarding or holding of mail.

     3. Take copy of Majestic Isles phone directory.

     4. Some important phone numbers to take with you.
        a. Be11 South               1-800-753-071
        b. ATT                          1-800-351-240
        c. FPL                           1-800-554-437
        d. PB Water                  1-561-278-5135
        e. Prime Management     1-561-734-5675

     5. Phone Service
        a. For long-term absence, change phone service to limited service or basic line service (currently called message rate service). You must have some form of phone service for your alarm system to work. Unplug answering machine.
        b. Cancel long distance service.

     6. Arrange for house checks with COP.

 B. Periphery Items

     1. Have PBC Water shut master water valve located outside the house. Cost $10.

     2. Store all external loose items in the garage (lawn furniture, flower pots, etc.).

     3. If your house is equipped with hurricane shutters, arrange to have the shutters installed if there is a hurricane warning.

     4. Apply a light spray of silicone grease on the window tracks and latches.

     5. Check that palm fronds do not come in contact with the house. Coordinate with the Ground Maintenance committee representative.

     6. Set exterior lights either by timers or sensors to go on at night.

     7. Drain garden hoses and store in garage. Check that all sprinklers are working and that all sprinkler heads are clear of grass or other impediments. If any sprinklers are not working properly, put in a work order for repair.

     8. Circuit Breakers
        a.. Label all circuit breakers correctly.
        b. Turn off all breakers except air conditioning, exterior lights, alarm system and any lights on timers in house.

9. Trim foliage around air conditioner.

C. Interior Items

    1. Pull all electric plugs for lamps (except those on timers), TV, VCR, clocks, washer, dryer, computer etc.

     2. Set humidistat to "Away" or 60/65 position depending on which type you have.

    3. Set thermostat to 80 or even higher.

    4. Set A/C control to cool/auto.

    5. Change or clean A/C filter.

    6. Clean and spray garbage can and blue and yellow collection bins with Lysol.

    7. Install wood dowel stopper to restrain sliding doors.

    8. Remove batteries from TV and VCR remote controls and from clocks. Leave batteries next to the items from which they were removed. Upon return, check for leaks before reinserting.

D. Kitchen

     1. Refrigerator
        a. Locate refrigerator circuit breaker in garage and turn to offposition.
        b. Remove ice tray. Clean and replace. Upon return, flush ice water line for a few minutes.
        c. Clean interior
        d. Wedge a cloth or sponge in doors so that they are slightly ajar.

     2. Shut off circuit breakers for other kitchen appliances.

     3. Clean stove and microwave.

     4. Leave cabinet doors and drawers slightly open.

     5. Upon return, flush water lines for about 10 minutes.

     6. Close sink drains or tape shut with duct tape to insure that if the U-trap below the sink loses all water, sewer gas will not enter home.

E. Bathroom

    1. Put bleach in toilet bowels. Cover with plastic wrap.

     2. Close and tape all sink and shower drains and all sink overflow holes. 

F. Living Room, Bedroom, Den

1.Open all furniture doors and drawers slightly.

 G. Garage

1. Label al1 circuit breakers accurately.

     2. Spray garage spring with WD‑40 when you leave and return.

     3. Latch and pin the garage doors with the instructions posted on the garage d~or back. Pay particular attention to engaging the door posts with the floor plates located under the door. Upon return, make sure that all pins are removed and stored in the holes provided. Leaving just one pin in can seriously damage the door when operating.

     4. If you use the manual lock handle, it can be engaged at this time.

     5. In some houses, the garage door opener is on the same circuit breaker as the alarm. If that is the case, you may want to disable the opener, which can be tripped by stray electrical signals. To deactivate the opener, pull the plug from the ceiling.

H. Pest Control.

    1. Soda stored in cans and other canned items
are especially vulnerable to out-gasing should the temperature get
too high This may invite insects and /or other pests.

    2. Spray all openings (both inside and out) such as door sills,
window sills, sliding door tracks etc. with a long acting insect
repellant. Such products as Ortho's "Home Defense" or "Rid-a-Bug"
can be used. Also spray the periphery of the patio and the garage
door sill.

    3. Inside the home, use the above products to spray:
        a. All baseboards in the kitchen and bathrooms
        b. All pantries and storage areas in the kitchen and bathrooms
at the floor level.
        c. Behind the refrigerator, behind and where the oven meets the
counter top, above and behind the dishwasher (can be accessed
thru the pantry door). In the food areas, use card board
baffles to control the areas sprayed to minimize potential
future food contamination.

    4. Outside the home, broadcast a granular product such as
"Spectracide" at "ALL" openings. This product comes in a
convenient dispensing container. Areas to be particularly
addressed are the patio door track, the external window sills, and
the bottom of the garage door. 

I. Conclusion

1. Spray garage door spring with WD-40.

2. Set alarm and leave through front door, locking it behind you.

3. Upon return, before turning on the breaker for the hot water heater, flush hot water faucet for about ten minutes.  

4. Review above list to reverse items as required.

 This list was compiled by Walter Bieber, March, 2000. Revision A Dec. 2000. Revision B. 12/16/00